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© St. Petersburg Times, published December 18, 2001
Unusually mild conditions this month have provided fishermen with opportunities seldom encountered this late in the year. Migratory species such as kingfish, cobia, and even a few tarpon have delayed their departure because of warm water and plentiful bait.
Since there have been so many kingfish around, anglers can have fun experimenting with light spinning tackle and even fly rods. With a livewell jammed full of live sardines, fishermen can turn a school of kingfish into a feeding frenzy. Our procedure lately has been to overload the livewell, run to the spot, and dump a few hundred baits as soon as we get there. If the kings are there, the water will come alive. Tripleheaders have been common and the aerial display put on by the skyrocketing kings adds to the excitement.
One of the craziest things I have seen happened Wednesday while fishing off Tarpon Springs. A kingfish jumped in pursuit of a free-swimming chummer and missed it.
A bird dropped in to steal the bait, but ended up in the mouth of the kingfish who launched again from the water at the same moment. The kingfish went 6 feet in the air with the tern firmly in its mouth. Then they were gone. A moment later the bird popped up a few feet away, shook itself off, and flew away.
-- Ed Walker charters out of Palm Harbor. Call (727) 944-3474 or e-mail TarponEd@aol.com.